I was sitting on my deck the other afternoon reading when I heard something that made me a bit emotional. It’s not that it’s terribly unusual for me to be moved by the simple things in life, but my reaction was a bit stronger than usual. I overheard a man speaking with his young son the other day, both of whom happen to be my new neighbors. I’d say the boy was about 4 or 5 years old, and his father appeared to be in his early 30s. What moved me and motivated me to write this article was simply the way the father and son addressed and spoke to one another.

There was something magical about the way this little boy said Daddy and the way the father responded back with Sweetie. Seeing those two pet names in print just doesn’t do the moment justice. As those words sit there on the page before me, they totally lose the warm, loving and precious way they were said. There was real music in the way those words rolled off their tongues, and the way this father and son interacted with each other made me wish every single human being alive could experience such moments. It occurred to me that these are the very moments that shape our lives, create our memories and influence our futures. I felt honored and deeply touched to be witnessing this simple exchange between a father and his son. I must also admit that I felt some sadness as well since I know that for many of you, this loving exchange between parent and child is a far cry from the reality of your early years and memories. But I don’t want to go there today. Today, I just want to think about this man and his son… and smile!